
Late run lifts Freeman over Johns in three games
Max Freeman is into the men’s singles Round of 16 after an 11-5, 0-11, 11-9 victory over No. 5 seed Ben Johns.
It looked like Johns was in full control after earning 9-5 lead in Game 3 after an 11-0 pickle in the second, but a timeout helped Freeman come all the way back to pull off one of the many early-round upsets fans have seen so far in Bristol.
“It was a pretty weird match,” Freeman noted afterwards. “I think Ben got off to a little bit of a slow start, and I was able to capitalize on that early and got a little bit of confidence in that first game. Obviously, I got pickled in the second game—I cooled all the way down, and I don’t think [Ben] missed a ball. And when he went up 9-5 in the third, things were looking pretty bleak, so I called a timeout, strung a few points together and got lucky at the end.”
“This is a very momentum-based game, very trendy one way to the other so you’ve just gotta tell yourself that anything can happen out there and just keep playing one point at a time.”
Freeman, the No. 32 seed this week, will next face No. 21 seed Grayson Goldin with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.
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